1 dead, 15 hurt in I-380 crash in Coolbaugh Township

A van carrying a driver and 15 passengers rolled over Tuesday night on Interstate 380, killing one and injuring the rest, six critically, state police said.

HOWARD FRANK

A van carrying a driver and 15 passengers rolled over Tuesday night on Interstate 380, killing one and injuring the rest, six critically, state police said.

The van, headed from New York City's Chinatown to Binghamton, N.Y., was traveling north at 8:05 p.m. when it left the west berm in Coolbaugh Township and hit the median, according to police.

The impact caused the van to partially overturn and hit a tree. Several of the van's occupants were trapped and had to be freed from the vehicle, a 2012 Mercedes Benz Sprinter operated by Universal Bus Travel Inc. of Syracuse, N.Y.

The crash forced the closure of the highway between Tobyhanna and Mount Pocono for more than four hours. The crash occurred as road conditions turned treacherous as freezing rain swept over parts of the Poconos.

One occupant of the vehicle was pronounced dead at Geisinger Community Medical Center. That person has not been identified.

The driver and passengers were taken to Geisinger, Pocono Medical Center and Moses Taylor Hospital.

EMS units from Pocono Mountain Regional, the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Central Pocono and Suburban responded. Fire companies from the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pocono Summit and Coolbaugh Township also responded.

The driver of the van was identified by police as Jiayuan Liang, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y.

U.S. Department of Transportation records indicate Universal Bus Travel has a clean record.

Records show just one driver inspection in the two years ending Jan. 25, 2013, and two compliance reviews, in December 2007 and February 2008.

The carrier hasn't reported any crashes in the past two years, and no deficiencies appear in the DOT records. Those DOT records show the company owns just the one vehicle, employs two drivers and is authorized to carry passengers on interstates.

Records indicate the van travels 5,000 miles annually. The company's DOT registration indicates it operates a mini-bus for 16 or more passengers.

The company could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A phone number listed for the company said a voice mailbox had not been set up.

The investigation is continuing, and police ask that anyone who witnessed the crash to call 570-839-7701.